Harold g



March 4 1924. 1,485,362

H. G. BAXTER SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Aug. 3. 1921 INVENTOR Harahifiaxferr .zgiTNEssEsi.

ATORNEY ipatented Mar. 4, 1924.

UNITED STATES rear OFFICE.

HAROLD G. BAXTER, F BALDWIN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORTO WESTINGHOUSE ELEC- TRIO & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CQR-PORA'EION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH MECHANISM.

Application filed August 3, 1921.

Z '0 all 10. mm it may concern:

Be it known that l, HAnoLD G. BAXTER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Baldwin, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in Switch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switch mechanismand particularly to enclosed switch mechanism of the safety type. I

One object of my invention is to provide a switch device of the snap-action type that is moved by toggle links to its open or closed positions when the end of one of the toggles is moved past the dead-center of the toggle.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a switch mechanism, having the above characteristics, wherein fulcrums are provided for changing the axis of rotation of one of the toggle links from the knee of the toggle to the fulcrum, whereby the knee is positively moved toward collapsing position when the operating handle is moved to either open or closed position.

Another object of my invention is to provide a switch mechanism that is simple in construction and which may readily be an manufactured from sheet metal.

These and other objects, that will be made apparent throughout the'further description of the invention, are attained by means of the switch mechanism hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the switch,

mechanism embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the switch mechanism, taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1, showing the switch mechanism in elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a section of a fragment of the switch mechanism, taken on the broken line III-III of Fig. 2, showing portions of the mechanism in elevation.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus includes a metal switch box having a bottom wall 3, side walls 4: and end walls 5. An insulating panel 6 is mounted on the bottom wall 3 of the housing and supports two pairs of stationary switch-jaw members 7 and 8. Switch-blade members 9 are pivoted to the hinge-jaw members 7 Serial No. 483,453.

and are adapted to engage the switch-jaw members 8, when in closed position.

The switch-blade members 9 are operated by means of an operating rod 11 that ex.- tends transversely of the housing and is journalled, at one end, in a bearing 12 mounted on one of the side members 4 and, at the other end, in a bracket 13 that is secured to the bottom 3 of the housing. The switch-blade members 9 are connected by means of an insulating bar 14: having a flexible connection to the operating rod 11 by means of an eye-bolt 15 that is slidably mounted in the clip 16 with which the insulating bar 14: is provided. A helical spring 17, that is mounted on the bolt 15, serves to normally retain the operating rod 11 and the switch-blade members in the relation illustrated in Fig. 1. The spring 17 is provided for permitting of relative movement of the operating rod 11 and the insulating bar 14 to compensate for relative movement of the said bars during the opening movement thereof, caused by their rotation about different axes.

In order to impart a snap-action movement to the operating rod 11, an operating handle 21 is journalled in the side 4 of the housing and the bracket 13. An operating lever 22 is secured to the handle 21 at a point between the bracket 13 and the adjacent side 4 of the housing and is provided with an inwardly extending pivot shaft 23. The lever 22 is connected to the operating rod 11 by means of a toggle which comprises links 24: and 25 that are pivotally joined by means of a knee pivot 26. The free end of the link 24 extends through a hole 27 in the shaft 23 and may slide longitudinally therethrough. The shaft 23 is mounted for rotative movement in the lever 22 so that it may turn when the lever is moved from the closed position illustrated in Fig. 1 to the open position. One end of the link 25 is secured to the square end 20 of the operating rod 11 and imparts movement thereto when the link 24. has been so moved that the shaft 23 occupies a position on the opposite side of the line traversing the axis 18 and the knee 26 of the toggle.

In order to open the switch, the operating handle 21 is turned clockwise, its movement being liinited by the guide 28 that is secured to the exterior of the side 4 of the housing. The switch will remain in closed position until the shaft 23 on the lever 22 is moved past the line A, Fig. 1, which traverses the axis 18 and the knee 26, or the dead-center position of the toggle, as shown in Fig. 3. During this movement, the helical spring 31, that is mounted upon, and surrounds, the link 24, is compressed between the knee 26 and the shaft 23. The spring expands to turn the link 25 in a counterclockwise direction to open position after the shaft 23 passes the dead-center of the toggle.

It some time occurs, because of corrosion of the switch-blade member and the switchjaw members, that the blade members stick within the jaw members so tightly that the spring 31 is unable to dislodge them. In order to obviate this difficulty, clips 32 and 33 are carried by the bracket 13 in such positions that the link 24 engages them before it has been moved to the extreme limits of movement determined by the guide 28.

When the link 24 engages the clip 32, in its opening movement, the point of rotation is transferred from the knee pivot 26 to the clip 32 which acts as a fulcrum. Further movement of the link 24 causes the link to act as a lever, turning about the fulcrum 32,

for positively starting movement of theswitch-blade members out of engagement with the switch-jaw members. After the switch has been started, the force exerted by the spring 31 is suliicient to complete the opening movement of the switch with a snap-action.

In order to close the switch, the operating handle 21 is reversed and the toggle link 24 is again moved past dead-center into engagement with the clip or fulcrum 33 which positively starts closing movement of the switch-blade members. The force exerted by the spring 31 causes the closing movement of the switch-blade members with a snap-action.

The housing is provided with a movable cover 34 that may, if desired, be interlocked with the switch mechanism in any preferred manner for the purpose of preventing opening of the cover so long as the switch is in closed position or for preventing closing of the switch while the cover is in open position.

The construction is simple and compact and the various elements of the switch-operating mechanism may be inexpensively manufactured from sheet metal by simple stamping operations.

While I have described and illustrated but one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. Switch mechanism comprising a housing, a switch pivoted within the housing, an operating member for the switch pivoted at one end to the side wall of the housing, a bracket within the housing for pivotally supporting the other end of the operating member, an operating lever operable from the exterior of the housing and pivoted to the side wall of the housing and having an operating crank within the housing, toggle members pivotally connected to the said crank and the said operating member, and a spring for collapsing the toggle for imparting opening or closing movement to the switch when one leg of the toggle is moved over the dead center of the toggle by the said crank.

2. Switch mechanism comprising a housing, a switch pivoted within the housing, an operating member for the switch pivoted at one end to the side wall of the housing, a bracket within the housing for pivotally supporting the other end of the operating member, an operating lever operable from the exterior of the housing and pivoted to the side wall of the housing and having an operating crank within the housing, toggle members pivotally connected to the said crank and the said operating member, a spring for collapsing the toggle for imparting opening or closing movement to the switch when one leg of the toggle is moved over the dead center of the toggle by the said crank and afulcrum for engaging one leg of the toggle when it has moved a predetermined distance whereby further movement of the said leg positively moves the toggle knee toward collapsed position.

3. Switch mechanism comprising a housing, a switch pivoted within the housing, an operating member for the switch pivoted at one end to the side wall of the housing, a bracket within the housing for pivotally supporting the other end of the operating member, an operating lever operable from the exterior of the housing and pivoted to the side wall of the housing and having an operating crank within the housing, toggle members pivotally connected to the said crank and the said operating member, a spring for collapsing the toggle for imparting opening or closing movement. to the switch when one leg of the toggle is moved over the dead center of the toggle by the said crank and a stop member secured to the said bracket for engaging the toggle whereby the knee of the toggle is positively moved past dead center by one leg of the toggle when the operating handle is moved a predetermined distance.

4. Switch mechanism comprising a housing, a switch pivoted within the housing, an operating member for the switch pivoted at one end to the side wall of the housing,

a bracket within the housing for pivotally supporting the other end of the operating member, an operating lever operable from the exterior of the housing and pivoted to the side wall of the housing and to the said bracket and having a crank disposed between the said bracket and side wall, toggle members pivotally connected to the said crank and the said operating member and a spring for collapsing the toggle for imparting opening or closing movement to the switch when one leg of the toggle is moved over the dead center of the toggle by the said crank.

5. Switch mechanism comprising a housing, a switch pivoted within the housing, an operating member for the switch pivoted at one end to the side wall of the housing, a bracket within the housing for pivotally supporting the other end of the operating member, an operating lever operable from the exterior of the housing and pivoted to the side wall of the housing and to the said bracket and having a crank disposed between the said bracket and side wall, toggle members pivotally connected to the said crank and the said operating member, a spring for collapsing the toggle for imparting opening or closing movement to the switch when one leg of the toggle is moved over the dead center of the toggle by the said crank and fulcrum carried by the said bracket for shifting the point of rotation of one leg of the toggle when the operating lever is moved a predetermined distance.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 20th day of July,

HAROLD G. BAXTER. 

